Chapter 2 of The Test Colony is here in full — 484 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Test Colony is here in full — 484 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony. Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources. By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great." "What are you driving at?" I demanded.
Chapter 2 of The Test Colony is here in full — 484 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/96 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading “I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.”
the act of examining resemblances
From this reading “By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."”
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading “By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."”
no longer sufficient
From this reading “By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."”
plural of “mineral” — solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition
From this reading “Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.”
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading “Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.”
past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading “I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.”
plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading “Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
resources (actual and potential) supplied by nature
In this reading “Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.”
In this reading “I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.”
In this reading “By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."”
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.”
In this reading “By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What are you driving at?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "What are you driving at?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
the act of examining resemblances
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading I demanded.
no longer sufficient
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading "What are you driving at?"
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
plural of “mineral” — solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
possessing material wealth
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had pondered this many times, but it hadn't struck me as especially dangerous to the colony.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Benson went on, "We have a glorious planet here, rich in minerals and other natural resources.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What are you driving at?"
used until no longer useful
From this reading By comparison, Earth is so worn-out and depleted and over-crowded that the contrast is almost too great."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What are you driving at?"
Chapter 2 of The Test Colony by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks holds 484 sentences, grouped into 97 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 484 sentences of The Test Colony, unabridged, divided into 97 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Test Colony by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 484 sentences, grouped into 97 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 97 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 97 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Test Colony by Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 978 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32676 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32676, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 81 minutes of reading across 196 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Test Colony section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Test Colony to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Test Colony, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
